


In the Box Labeled...Maybe?

by Enterthetadpole



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: All chapters are under 500 words each, Both Rhett and Link are 18, Coming of Age, Humor, M/M, Nerd!Rhett, Popular!Link, Well most chapters I should say, prom au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:27:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23649196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enterthetadpole/pseuds/Enterthetadpole
Summary: Rhett McLaughlin will take Link Neal to prom. Unfortunately only Rhett seemed to know about this plan...All chapters are purposefully under 500 words each.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	1. 79 days and counting... (11:36am)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Thinkanddoodle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thinkanddoodle/gifts).



> Dedicated to the wonderful ThinkandDoodle_Batch who put this plot bunny in my ear. Thank you, my dear!

It honestly wasn’t Rhett’s fault the first time it happened. More like the way that fate seemed to enjoy screwing him over. Play pranks on him that were way too childish to belong in the senior year of high school. Yet here he was, all stumbling apologies and thick eyeglasses askew as he tried (and failed, of course) to walk up and just tell Link that his shoelace was untied. The black combat boots a stark contrast to the cream-colored hallway tile. That devilish smirk and jaw-droppingly blue eyes too focused on Lana Whitmore to notice the danger that literally laid at his feet. 

Rhett didn’t see this as the moment that Charles Link Neal the Third would see him as a hero. That never was in the cards, even if Rhett McLaughlin did such things as gamble. This was more of the ice breaker before the ice breaker. The kind of action that would at least poke a tiny hole into the galaxy of Link’s world and at least let him realize that Rhett existed. A nerdy half-giant of an existence, but an existence nevertheless. 

Lana giggled at some joke Link had made as Rhett approached. Her delicate hand pushed golden blonde curls behind her left ear. A classic flirting technique that many girls did, and he needed to move faster because it was working. A bad sign, indeed. 

Rhett was about four feet away when it happened. Fate decided that now would be the best time to have him trip over thin air and crash into his crush. 

_Crash into his crush._

Rhett could almost hear the hum of approval from his Honor’s English teacher Mrs. Kelly for that splendid alliteration. Perhaps Rhett will put it into a haiku with Link’s name written inside shakily drawn hearts and then read it a few times before he destroyed it with fire. Throw it in all Kick Me signs and spitwads that he collected throughout the day. 

At least Lana screamed as she backed away. 

_Good._

_Back the fuck off, goldilocks._

There was a grunt of surprise as Rhett scrambled to his cursedly clumsy feet to see Link blinking up at him. His stylish hair and equally stylish jean jacket both rumpled and slightly dusty from the floor. 

"Holy cow, McLaughlin," Lana screamed. “You could have killed - "

"Lay off," Rhett heard, and it sounded like it actually came from the gorgeous guy on the ground. "Didn't mean it, I'm sure."

Then Link actually flashed those amazing eyes in Rhett’s direction, and the Earth might as well have stopped revolving around the sun. Link moved back gracefully to a standing position and wiped away some of the looser pieces of dirt. Lana grumbled something behind him, arms crossed as she glared up at Rhett. Probably silently reciting an incantation like the witch she was. 

“Name’s Link Neal. You’re Rhett, right? From Biology class?”


	2. 79 days and counting... (11:45am)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett opens his mouth and inserts his foot like a pro.

_Say something._

Link raised his right eyebrow in that way that let Rhett know that he was absolutely blowing this. However, it really wasn’t his fault that his idiotic mouth decided it was no longer on speaking terms with his brain. 

_Say something, you idiot._

Rhett’s face must be melting with how hot it felt. Like he was that creepy villain in glasses in Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark.

“Oh, jeez. I’m sorry. Is that not your name?” Link asked, and nope. Someone that gorgeous should never ever believe they could do anything wrong.

_Yes, you know him. You sit exactly three seats to the right and five seats back from his desk and doodle the name Link Neal surrounded in little balloon hearts in the margins of your Biology notes. SAY SOMETHING!_

“Yeah, that’s me.”

Good, so his mouth decided to get with the program. 

“Rhett McLaughlin. I sit three seats to the right and five seats back from your desk.”

Link slightly frowned at this, and that was perfectly valid. Rhett sounded like some sort of discounted stalker. Completely blew his chance on his first try. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200 or the heart, soul, and body of Link Neal. Like he deserved things so precious anyway.

“That’s...very detailed,” Link replied, and he actually threw out a small laugh. “Nice to meet you, Rhett. Well, formally at least.”

Then he held out his hand and Rhett wished his own palms weren’t rivers of sweat and blasted teenaged hormones. Lana made some kind of impatient sound from behind Link.

“Nice to meet you too.” 

Thank god the handshake was brief, and for once Rhett was thrilled to see Lana intervene. Her hand grabbed a hold of Link’s other arm and gave it a pull.

“Come on,” she grumbled. “We’ve got class in five minutes.”

There almost was a flicker of disappointment in those amazing blue eyes as Link gave Rhett a final look. “Sorry, gotta go. Mr. Linch is murder on being tardy. See you tomorrow in class?”

“Yeah, sure. Okay.”

Another tug from Lana and Link was gone. His jean jacket and mop of dark hair lost in the crowd. Rhett wanted to pinch himself. Link Neal knew his name, and that was enough to give him the hope that he needed. Tomorrow would be the _real_ start of his plan. 


	3. 79 days and counting... (1:12pm)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooof this is such a delay in getting this next chapter out! Sorry about that! Thanks as always to Thinkanddoodle for their cheerleading, and all of those staying with the story. I'll try to do better with responding to comments. 
> 
> Tad <3

The rest of the day would be simple. 

Just go to classes, avoid anyone who wasn't his teachers and try to not make a complete fool of himself in front of Link Neal for the second time today.

Yup.

Rhett could do this.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

"Rhett, could you please come here for a moment?"

Mrs. Laraby motioned for Rhett to come up to her desk and Rhett slid out of his seat. The rest of the class did that annoying thing where they only pretended to be working when in reality they are listening in for possible new blackmail or extortion material. 

An intricate and battling class system that made high school more akin to Lord of the Flies but with somewhat better access to air conditioning. 

"Yes ma'am?"

Rhett liked Mrs. Laraby as much as any of his other teachers. She was understanding and fair-minded. She paused to ask questions before just assuming the worse, but Rhett was not liking the way she was looking at him right now. With that somewhat concerned look that his own mother gave him when she was trying to figure out the best way to let him know that was acting too weird to be her son. 

She tilted her head and frowned. "Is everything all right with you today?"

Well, that could have been a worse question for her to ask. Rhett had been bracing for more inquiry that he just wasn't ready for, like how could he spend the majority of his day daydreaming about Link Neal and how nicely his dark glasses framed his face. The various shades of blue that his eyes were, and how soft his lips would be on his. 

"Yes ma'am?"

Rhett realized a moment too late that his last statement was absolutely a question. He'd blame it on his voice changing due to puberty, but that had finally occurred last summer, thankfully. Where he was able to squeak and crack in the privacy of his bedroom. Little miracle apparently did come true. 

"Ok..." Mrs. Laraby replied, and a tone that was not okay, but aware that the other students were starting to gawk at the two of them a bit much at the moment. "But if you do want to talk to me, or maybe someone you feel more comfortable with...please do? You seem so distracted lately. Not like you, Rhett."

She gave what Rhett assumed was supposed to be a supportive smile, but her light brown eyes looked too worried. Great. Not one of his favorite teachers was concerned about him, and he couldn't tell her why. That he was hopelessly in love with a guy who just today seemed to connect his name. Things could be worse, though.

Then a whispered voice met his ear as he walked back to his desk. 

"Hey, Rhett...need to talk to you after school."

The voice belonged to Hillary James, one of the biggest gossips in school. Too pretty to have an actual need to develop a really nice personality, and her smile reminded Rhett of a shark that just smelled blood in the water. 

Apparently things could get worse indeed. 


End file.
